New features

Cloud-based assets

Typefi Writer 8.4 enables direct linking to images, and audio and video assets from your Typefi Server. Before, Typefi Writer could only insert links from your local file system or a shared drive. To insert a link to a cloud-based asset, click Browse from server to browse for a file on the Typefi server. To browse for a file on your local computer, click Browse from PC.

By default, Writer 8.4 uses the new filestore URL scheme to link to assets on your Typefi Server (for example, filestore://path/to/file.png), but it also supports the job-folder URL scheme to link to assets that may have been copied into your job folder by another workflow action.

Both the filestore and job-folder URL scheme use relative paths. For example, Files → Caleb → Hello World → links → Fish.png is equivalent to filestore://Caleb/Hello World/links/Fish.png, while job-folder://images/Fish.png is equivalent to ${job-folder}/images/Fish.png.

Enhanced check in process

Typefi Writer 8.4 automatically syncs the changes you make to checked out documents back to the Typefi Server, ensuring that your changes are immediately available to workflows.

To customise how documents are saved:

On the Typefi tab, in the Writer group, choose Options.

In the Typefi Writer Options list, choose File handling.

Choose one of the following options:

Prompt Before Syncing – Receive a prompt when you save asking whether you want to upload your changes.

Save Locally Only – Changes are saved only to your local computer. You are responsible for checking in your changes as needed.

Sync Copy to Server – Each time you save, your changes are automatically uploaded to the Typefi Server (this is the default setting).

Enhanced Microsoft Excel integration

With Typefi Writer 8.4 you can now use named ranges to define the scope of an embedded Microsoft Excel worksheet. This enables you to embed only a portion (for example, a few cells or rows) rather than the entire worksheet.

Note: Typefi does not currently support named ranges with a workbook (global) scope. Instead, use Define Name (on the Formulas tab, in the Defined Names group, click Define Name) to set your scope to the worksheet that contains the selected cells. For more information on using names in your workbook, see Define and use names in formulas.

Content XML 3.1

Writer 8.4 also adds support for Content XML 3.1, which adds new list numbering styles (padded numerals, and Arabic, Chinese, and Hebrew letters), the ability to assign conditions to elements and tables directly, and the new <toc> tag.

The <toc> tag can be used as an alternative to an InDesign-generated table of contents (TOC). While InDesign generates its TOCs after all the document is complete and its scope is always the entire document, a <toc> tag generates its TOC from the source Content XML before the document is composed. A <toc> tag also automatically limits its scope to its parent <section> (for example, to create a chapter-specific TOC).

Note: A future release of Typefi Writer will support <meta> content within Microsoft Word.

Other Changes

8.4.3 Fixed a bug where check in/out wasn't available unless versioning was enabled on Typefi Server

8.4.3 Worked around a suspected Microsoft Word bug in its handling of 32-bit ICO and highly optimized PNG resources that caused exceptionally difficult to reproduce crashes (Runtime Error 50003) for some installations

8.4.3 Fixed a rare issue where image previews may not render (Word 2010-only)

8.4.2 Redesigned the Select Cross-References Source dialog to make it easier to narrow down the choices, and then select the paragraph you want to refer to

Hidden index entries within a Typefi header or footer paragraph are now flagged with a warning

Improved validation of floating elements (and element references to a floating element) to prevent insertion within another floating element

Improved filtering of available elements when inserting an element reference to prevent creation of a recursive reference

Restored ability to create element references for fixed elements

Fixed a bug where cancelling a file check in may delete the local file

Fixed a bug (Unexpected Error -2146232000) related to improper handling of some Unicode special characters within project field values

Updated and renamed the underlying Typefi Writer macro function names to reflect current usage and behavior; if you have built custom macros that tie into Writer 8.3, this may break that integration (see Keyboard Shortcuts for a reference table listing the new function names)

¿Hablas español? Typefi Writer 8.4 supports both English and Spanish

Known issues

AutoTag is officially deprecated (see below) and will be removed in a future release of Writer.

Notices

Every product has a lifecycle. The lifecycle begins when a product is released and ends when it is no longer supported.

Typefi will no longer provide features enhancements, or resolve most bugs or cosmetic issues

Support is limited to issues related to the feature's removal and/or migration to its replacement functionality (when available)

Microsoft Office 365 update channel

One of the benefits of Office 365 is that Microsoft provides new features for Office apps on a regular basis. The schedule for these updates depends on your selected update channel. Typefi only certifies Writer compatibility with the Semi-annual update channel. While the Monthly (formerly "Current") channel delivers new or updated features, and security and non-security updates at least once each month, these releases are only supported by Microsoft until the next monthly channel release is available and may break compatibility with line-of-business applications like Typefi Writer (for example, the August 2017 "Monthly" update introduced a bug in a critical component used by Writer). For these reasons, Typefi strongly recommends selecting the Semi-annual (formerly "Deferred") update channel, which also delivers new or updated features, and security and non-security updates, but on a slower schedule of two updates each year. The Semi-annual update channel also extends support to 18 months from first release. For more information about the channel releases for Office 365 client applications, see Office 365 client update channel releases.

To change your update channel to Semi-annual (formerly "Deferred"), do the following: